Stimulants
in pharmacy, agents which increase vital action, first in the organ to which they are applied, and next in the system generally. Stimulants are of three kinds, stomachic, vascular, and spinal. The name is popularly restricted to the first of these, which act on the stomach, expelling flatulence, besides allaying pain and spasm of the intestines. They are also called carminatives. Examples, ginger, capsicum and chillies, cardamoms, mustard, pepper, nutmeg, etc. Some vascular stimulants act on the heart and the larger vessels, others on the smaller ones. Of the first are free ammonia, alcohol in the form of brandy or wine, camphor, aromatics, etc. Of the latter are acetate of ammonia, guiacum, sassafras, etc. Spinal stimulants increase the function of the spinal cord. Examples, nux vomica, strychnia, cantharides, phosphorus, etc.